Pulp sheet bundling apparatus



Feb. 23, 1960 E. C. COOLEY 2,925,772

PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet l /NVE/VTUR EDWIN CHARLES cooLEY BY a7 HTTRNEYS Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed sept. 2e, 195e sa L55 /NVENTUR EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY ay 77 J.

HTTN-yf Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 26, 1956 IVE/vrai? EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY BY Y m.

mii/EW Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 26, 1956 /IYVVTCR EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY Hy 77 a HTTURNYS Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY 2,925,772

PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Fled Sept. 26, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 va/imm EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 26, 1956 [NVE/VWK EDWIN CHARLES cooLEY BY d? TTORAW l Feb. Z3, 1960 E. c. cooLEY 2,925,772

PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 /NvEN-rak EDWIN CHARIES COOLEY Mafl.

Feb. 23, 1960 E. c. cooLEY 2,925,772

PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Filed sept. ze, 195e 9 sheets-sheet s L|ll|||| wn/727K EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY y HWK/IETS F1 if Feb. 23, 1960 Filed Sept. 26, 1956 E. C. COOLEY PULP SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS 9' sheets-sheet 9 EDWIN CHARLES COOLEY United States Patent O l 2,925,172 PULr SHEET BUNDLING APPARATUS Edwin C. Cooley, Campbell River, British Columbia,

Canada, assiguor to Elk Falls Company Limited, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada, a corporation of BritishvColumbia Application September 26, 1956, Serial No. 612,193

3 Claims. (Cl. 10G-77) This invention relates to apparatus for forming pulp in sheet form into compact and compressed bundles.

An object of the present invention is` the provision of apparatus that will take sheet pulp and form it into stacks, and then compress the stacks into compact bundles.

Anotherobject is the provision of pulp sheet bundling apparatus which produces the bundles without any intermediatel handling of the material.

Although this apparatus is primarily designed for handling pulp in sheet form and is so described herein, it is to be understood that it-may be used with any other material that needs to be formed into bundles.

Some paper pulpl mills produce pulp to be manufactured into paper at distant mills. This necessitates the moving `of the nished pulp to the paper-matting mill. As pulp is -rather bulky in form, it is ditiicult to handle, and it normally'takes up considerable space in storage warehouses, and in conveyances, such' as trucks, freight cars and boats. y

The present apparatus is designed to take a pulpsheet and to form a bundle by folding the sneet in a-zigzag manner and laying the folds one on top of the other. The sheet may be corrugated at intervals to facilitate the formation of the zigzag folds. lf the pulp is fed to the apparatus in a continuous sheet,suitaole means is provided for cutting the sheet when al bundle of a desired size is formed. Then the bundle is compressed to reduce its volume so that a .compact and concentrated bundle of pulp is formed. If the pulp is fed to the machine in a web of standard width,wh1ch is approximately 16 feet, provision is made for cutting the web or sheet longitudinally into a plurality of widths, for example, every 4 feet, so that the nished bundles may be easily handled and transported. When the sheet is cut into comparatively narrow widths, the latter may be simultaneously formed into the bundles so that it is practically the same as making one bundle the full width of the original pulp sheet, but the result is a plurality of narrower compact bundles.

Apparatus according to the present invention, comprises means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly, a table beneath the directing means, oscillating means between the directing means and the table for moving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel to cause said sheet to form a zigzag stack on the table, a normally-elevated pressure head to one side of the table, means for conveying the stack from the table to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

An example of this apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a reduced side elevation of the pulp sheet bundling apparatus, Y'

Figure 2 is a plan view of the left end portion of the apparatus, with reference to Figure 1, showing a conveyor and cutting nozzles at the intake end,

ice

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatusshown iu Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of i Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 6, with parts of the apparatus broken away,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the apparatus'shown in Figure 7, Y

Figure 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9-9' generally of an entrance conveyor 15, creaser or cutter" 18, fluter or corrugator 20, oscillator 24, table or receiving conveyor 26, intermediate conveyor 28, another conveyor 30, and one or more pressure heads 32. I As stated above, the pulp sheet may be fed to the apparatus in a single comparatively narrow width so that' one bundle is formed at a time, or the sheet may be fed in the conventional width, in which case it is desirable to cut it into `a puluralityof narrower widths, the usual number being four. The accompanying drawings illustrate apparatus for handling the wide sheet `and cutting it into a plurality of narrower widths.

The entrance conveyor 15 is shown in Figures l, 2 and 3. This conveyor is in the form of a plurality of spaced endless belts 36 which extend over a plurality of rollers 37 rotatably carried by a suitable frame 38. This conveyor is preferably inclined downwardly from a receiving end 40 to a discharge end 41. The pulp sheet is formed and supplied to theconveyor end 41 in any desired manner, but as this does not form part of the present invention, it is not illustrated or described herein. The conveyor may be driven in any convenient manner. In this example, one of the rollers 37 has a shaft 42 projecting from an end thereof, see Figure 2,'and having a sprocket 43 mounted thereon. This sprocket is connected by a chain 44 to a sprocket 45 mounted on the drive shaft to an electric motor 46.

of 16 feet. Means is provided for cutting the pulp sheet into a plurality of narrow widths or strips. This is prefy erably done hydraulically, although other cutting means may be used. For this purpose, a pipe 50 extends across and is mounted above the upper run of conveyor '15. This pipe is secured to standards 511 supported by and projecting upwardly from frame 38. A plurality of downwardly directed nozzles 53 are carried by this pipe and communicate with the interior thereof. Pipe 50 extends from suitable apparatus, not shown, for supplying water under pressure therein. wardly in jets by nozzles 53, and the jets pass through the pulp sheet on the conveyor continuously to cut it into strips. The water passing through the pulp sheet is gathered by a collector 55 and carried away from the apparatus by pipe 56.

The pulp sheet moves off the discharge end 41 of the entrance conveyor 15 and drops downwardly through a guide channel 60 which extends through upper oor 11. This channel directs the sheet into a-funnel-shapedtenltrance 64 of a vertical channel or chute 65 of the creaser f Patented Feb. 23, 1960.

This water is directed down or cutter 18, see Figures 1, 4, 5 and 6. The cutter and channel are carried by a frame 67 mounted on top of a stand 69 that is located on floor 10 beneath channel 60.

Chute 65 -is wide enough to accommodate the entire width of the pulp sheet that has moved over conveyor 15, see particularly Figure 4. A blade 72 is ymounted in guides 73 which are mounted on andv project laterally from chute 65. This blade is in line with slot 74 in the walls of the chute, see Figure 6. The blade is moved back and forth across the chute or channel in any convenient manner. In this example, this is accomplished by means of a shaft 77 journalled in bearings 78 carried by frame 67, said shaft being spaced from and extendingparallel to blade 72 which, in turn, is parallel with chute 65. A plurality of crank arms 80 projecting downwardly from the shaft are rconnected by links `81 to the blade at points 82. Shaft 77 is rocked in any convenient manner to move the blade back 4and forth across the chute. This may be done by means of a pinion 85 mounted on each end of the shaft, see Figure 4, which meshes with a rack 86 slidably mounted on frame '67. One end of each rack is connected to the piston rod 89 of an hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 90 `also mounted on the Vframe in line with the rack. When fluid `is directed to opposite ends of this cylinder, the rack is moved out and back to cause pinions 85 to rotate. This in turn vrocks shaft 77 back and forth to move blade 72 through slots 74 and 75 back and forth across channel 65 through which the pulp sheet travels. Thus, the blade presses the sheet against the opposite side of the chute, creasing and retaining it momentarily in a xed position, while the portion of the sheet therebelow continues to move downwardly, `thereby causing the lower portion vto tear away from the portion at and above the blade.

Pipes 92 and 93 extend from opposite ends of cylinders 90 to a control valve 94. This valve alternately connects the pipes toa source of iluid under pressure yand to an exhaust. As any type of control valve which vis wellkhown in the art may be used, this valve is not described herein. When pipes v92 are connected to the uid source, kpipes 93 are connected to the exhaust so that piston rods 89 are drawn into their respective cylinders moving racks 86 with them. Alternately, when pipes 93 areconnected to the fluid source, pipes 92 are connected to the exhaust, and the piston rods are moved outwardly from their cylinders. Control valve 94 maybe operated automatically or manually.

The pulp sheet passes downwardly through chute 65 into the space 98 between a pair of parallel rolls 99 and 100 of the fluter or corrugator 20. These rolls are intended to crease the sheet as it moves therebetween, and they may be provided with spaced bars 102 and 103 extending longitudinally of their surfaces. As the bars move through space 98, those of one roll it between those of the other. Therefore, the bars ute or corrugate the plp sheet passing through the corrugator 20.

These rolls, which are rotatably mounted on the top of stand 69, may be rotated in any desired manner. ln this example, roll 100 has an extended shaft 106 upon which a sprocket 109 is mounted. This sprocket is connected by a chain 110 of a sprocket 111 in the drive shaft of an electric motor 112 mounted on stand 69. As -roll 100 is rotated, its bars 103 move between or mesh with bars 102 of roll 99 to cause the latter to turn. The rotation of the rolls is such that bars 102 and 103 move more or less downwardly through space 98. The corrugator 20 is clearly shown in Figures 1., .6, 7 and 8.

After passing through the corrugator, the pulp sheet moves downwardly through the oscillator 24, see Figures 1, 6, 7 and 8. This oscillator includes a spaced'pairV of upwardly-diverging plates 115 and 116 which form afsubstantially vertical channel 117 therebetween. These plates extend vacross the apparatus ,and are long Yenough to accumrnoclatezthe enti-re width ofthe pulp sheet. T he plates 4 are carried at their opposite ends by vertical supports 120 which are pivotally mounted at their upper ends on stub shafts 122 carried by frame 69. The supports 120 carry at their lower ends brackets 124 which, in tum, carry spaced bars 125 and 126 extending across the apparatus beneath plates 115 and 116. The space 127 between the bars Ais aligned with channel 117 of the oscillator. Although these bars may be stationary, it is preferable to have them in the form of rollers which are rotatably carried by brackets 124, as shown.

Suitable means is provided for oscillating 'supports 120 and the parts carried thereby around stub shafts 122. As the plates and roller bars of the oscillator are comparatively long, itis desirableto provide oscillating means connected to each .of the supports '120. For this purpose, each vertical support has a bracket connected thereto and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom. Each bracket is yconnected by La pin ,131 to a link 13 2 (see Fig. 8), the opposite end of which is connectedby pin 133 to a crank `disc ,134 mounted lon a shaft 135 iwhich extends transversely yof the apparatus and is journalled in bearings 136 .carried by istand 69. This shaft is common to the crank discs 134 at opposite sides of the stand, as Aclearlyshownin Figure 7. The shaft is rotated in any desired manner, and one `way of doing this is to mount ya sprocket 13 8 thereon which is connected by chain A139 to another `sprocket 140 .mounted on an extended shaft -141 of corrugator roll 99. With this arrangement, rnot'or 112 Lrotates 'shaft v135, and this, turning crank'discs 134, causes the lower part of the oscillator to swing back :and forth :across the .path of travel of the pulp sheet .during its downward movement. This back and :forth movement of oscillator 24 causes the pulp vsheet to fold back and forth along its .creases so that it forms a zigzag stack 145 on table or conveyor v26, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 8.

As it is necessary to ymove the :stack .away 'after it .is formed, it is preferable to 4make the receiving table in the form of .a conveyor. In this example, the 'conveyor has a .plurality of spaced :endless chains 148 extending around sprockets ;149 and 150 :mounted on shafts 151 and 152 at opposite ends of the conveyor. The upper run of each chain extends through ka `trough 154, see Figures 9 and 10. Shaft 152 is rotated by a `motor 156 throughsprockets 157 and 158, and ychain 159, see Figures 8 and 10. .The-conveyor 26 is normally stationary, while a stack is built up thereon, and when it is desired to move the stack, l the motor 15.6 isset into operation to cause the conveyor toshift the .stack from beneath the corrugator.

It is desirable .to .provide guides ,for the .pulp sheet as it falls downwardly .in zigzag folds Von to the stack on conveyor 26. A fixed vertical .guide plate 162 is carried by stand.69 over .oneend Aof the conveyor. As the stack is movedoutwardly in a direction away from plate 162, it is desirable to provide a removable guideopposite said plate. In this example, a plurality of spaced vertical cables .165 act as the opposite guide, see Figure 9. The lower ends of these cables are Vconnected to a weighted bar 167, the opposite ends of which extend into `vertical tracks 1 68 at ,opposite sides of the stand. The `upper ends of the vcables are woundaround 4drumsl70 which are mounted on a common shaft 171 journalled in bearings 172 carriedby the stand. This shaft -and the drums thereon are rotated in opposite directions in any convenient manner. For this purpose, a sprocket 174 xedly mounted on the shaft is connected by a chain 175 to another sprocket 176 mounted on a stub shaft .177 `journalled in bearings 178 carried by a vertical lbase 179, said base being supported by the stand. A vertical rack 180 is slidably mounted on the base and meshes with a pinion 181 lixedly mounted on shaft 177. The lower end-of the rack is connected to a piston rod 184 projecting upwardly from a pneumatic or hydraulic-cylinder 185 mounted on the stand. Fluid is' diret-:tedio the'upper and lower ends of this cylinder by conventional control ap'- paratus, not shown.

When rack 180 is moved downwardly, drums 170 are rotated to draw cables 165 and 167 upwardly clear of the stack 145 formed on conveyor 26. When the rack is moved downwardly, the drums are rotated in the opposite direction, and the weight of bar 167 draws the cables downwardly so that they form a guide over the end of conveyor 26 opposite that over which guide plate 162 is located.

Conveyor 26 may be made long enough to transport the stack to any desired point clear of the apparatus. However, it is preferable to provide a short intermediate conveyor 190 in line with conveyor 26, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. This intermediate conveyor is preferably constructed in the same manner as conveyor 26, and it is operated by an electric motor 192. This makes it possible quickly to shift the stack oif conveyor 26 so that the latter is ready immediately t-o receive the pulp sheet moving downwardly from the entrance conveyor and through the oscillator 24.

Once the stack is formed, it is next compressed into a compact bundle. Although one stack only has been mentioned in the immediately preceding description, it will be realized that if the pulp sheet is cut into a plurality of strips on conveyor 15, there will be a plurality of stacks formed side by side on conveyor 26. The apparatus is wide enough to handle all these stacks togethre and they are treated as though they were one stack. The pulp sit-ack is moved beneath pressure head 32 which may be a single head for the plurality o-f stacks, but it has been found advantageous to provide a separate head for each individual stack. This allows for better control of the pressure mechanism, and for a better pressing of the stacks. As the pressure heads are identical, one only will be described in detail. t

Conveyor 190 may be long enough to move the stack to the pressure head, but it is` preferable to provide another conveyor 195 which extends beneath and beyond the pressure head. This conveyor is constructed in the` same manner as conveyor 190, and is operated by an electric motor 196. With -this arrangement, conveyor -190 may be holding a stack, while another stack is being pressed by the head or is being moved away from the latter to a desired pick-up point.

Each pressure head 32 includes ,a at pressure plate 200 mounted onk the lower end of a ram 201 projecting downwardly from a hydraulic cylinder 202. This cylinder is carried by a supporting frame 203 which is mounted above conveyor 195 in any convenient manner. In this example, thel supporting frame is secured tothe underside on upper door 11. If desired, the pressure plate 200 may have a guide rod 206 projecting upwardly therefrom which slidably extends through aV comparatively long bearing 207 carried by frame 203. The mechanism for supplying and controlling the fluid for cylinder 202 has not been shown since it is well known in the hydraulics eld. The operator of the equipment starts the pressure plate moving downwardly when there is a stack 145 therebeneath. The apparatus is set so that when a predetermined pressure is reached against the stackthe plate is automatically retracted. As soon as the plate is retracted, conveyor 190 is operated to move the stack clear ofthe pressure head to the end of said conveyor. At this point, it may be removed from the conveyor in any convenient manner, such as by means Aof a fork lift truck.

The operation of this bundling apparatus is relatively simple. The pulp sheet, formed in any conventional manner, is directed on to entrance conveyor 15 Where it is cut into a plurality of desired widths or strips. The cut sheet moves downwardly through channel 66 into chute 65 of creaser or cutter 13. When a Stack of a desired height is formed on -table conveyor 26, the operator causes blade 72 to move across the sheet to cause the pulp therebelow to separate-from that hanging do-wn from the upper conveyor., AS the pulp Sheet moves between rolls 99 and 100 of corrugator 20, transverse creases are formed therein from side to side thereof. The pulp continues down between guide plates and 116, and roller bars 125 and 126 of the oscillator 24. These bars alternately engage opposite faces of the sheet to cause said sheet to form a zigzag stack on conveyor 26. As the sheet has previously been cut into strips, there are actually a plurality of these stacks on the lower conveyor. Guide plate 162 and guide cables 165 keep the zigzagging material confined so that one or more proper stacks is or are formed on the conveyor.

When the stack` or stacks reach a predetermined height, and the sheet has been severed by the cutter, the guide cables 165 are raised out of the way, after which conveyor 26 i-s operated to shift' the stacks on to conveyor 190. The guide cables are immediately returned to their normal positions in order to keep the following zigzagging pulp sheet in place. It is a good idea to have the intermediate conveyor since conveyor 195. may still have one or more compressed bundles thereon when the stacks are cleared from beneath the creaser.

Conveyor 190 may now be operated to shift the stacks on to conveyor 195 which moves them beneath header plate or plates 200. After conveyor 195 is stopped, the pressure plates are moved downwardly to compress the stacks into compact bundles. When the pressure plates are retracted, conveyor 195 is operated to` move the bundles from beneath the pressure head.

What I claim as Amy invention is:

l. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprising means for directing a pulp -sheet downwardly, a normally-stationary conveyor beneath the directing means and extending laterally with respect thereto, said conveyor forming a table for receiving the pulp sheet, confining means immediately above the conveyor, an oscillating frame pivotally mounted beneath the directing means above the confining means, a pair of spaced parallel rollers rotatably carried by the frame spaced from the pivot thereof and between which the downwardly-travelling pulp sheet moves, means connected to the frame for rocking it to move the rollers back and forth across the general path of travel of the sheet to cause the latter to form a zigzag stack on the conveyor within the confining means,` a pressure head1 above the conveyor to one side of the oscillating means, means for moving the conveyor to transfer the stack from the confining means to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

2. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprising means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, said walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just suliiciently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normal Ito the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line with the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the Width of -the sheet, means for moving the blade through the slot to sever the sheet by pressing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away, a table beneath the chute, confining means immediately over Ithe table oscillating means between the chute and the table for moving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel to cause said sheet to form a zigzag stack on the table, within the coniining means a normally-elevated pressure head to one side of the table, means for conveying the stack after the sheet is severed from within the confining means on the table to a position beneath `the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

3. Pulp sheetl bundling apparatus comprising means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, said walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just sufficiently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normal to the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line with the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the Width of the sheet, means for moving the blade through the slot to sever the sheet by pressing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away, a table beneath the chute, con- -fining means immediately above the table, a creaser above the table and through which the pulp sheet travels for creasing the sheet at intervals transverselyA thereof, oscillating means between the creaser and the table for moving the pulp sheet back and forth across its general path of travel to cause said sheet to fold along its creases to form a zigzag stack on the table'within the confining means, a normally-elevated pressure head to one side of the table,'means for conveying the stack after the sheet is severed from within the confining means on the table to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to' compress the stack into a compact bundle.

4. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprising means lfor directing a pulp sheet downwardly, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, said walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just sufiiciently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normally to the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line with the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the width of the sheet, means for moving the-blade through the slot to sever the sheet by pressing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away,`a normally-stationary conveyor beneath the directing means and extending laterally with respect thereto, said conveyor forming a table for receiving the pulp sheet conlining means immediately above the conveyor, vertical supports pivotally mounted at their upper ends beneath the chute and in line with the edges of the downwardlyextending pulp sheet, a pair of upwardly-diverging plates carried by said supports and forming therebetween a substantially vertical channel through which the pulp sheet extends, a roller extending-along the lower edge of each plate near the pulp sheet, means connected to ther vertical supports for oscillating the plates and rollers across 'the general path of movement of the sheet to move the latter back and forth to form a zigzag stack on the conveyor within the confining means, a pressure head above the conveyor to one Side of the vertical supports, means for moving the conveyor to transfer the stack after the sheet is severed from within the confining means to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

5. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprising means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, said walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just sufficiently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normal to the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line with the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the width of the sheet, means for moving the blade through the slot to sever the sheet by pressing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away, a creaser immediately below the chute and through which the pulp sheet travels from the latter for creasing the Sheet yat intervals transversely thereof, a table beneath the creaser, confining means immediately above the table, oscillating means between the creaser' and the table for moving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel to cause said sheet to form a zigzag stack on the table within the confining means, a normally-elevated pressure head to one side of the table, means for conveying the stack from within the confining means on the table to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.-

6. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprlsmg a conveyor having receiving and discharge ends, means for supplying a continuous wide sheet of pulp to the receiving end of the conveyor, means at the conveyor for cutting the sheet into narrow strips as said sheet moves over the conveyor, said sheet strips travelling downwardly side by side as a sheet from the conveyor dischargeend, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, ysaid walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just sufficiently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normal to the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line wtih the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the width ofthe sheet, means for moving the blade through the slot to sever the sheet by press ing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away, a table beneath the chute, confining means immediately above the table, oscillating means between the chute and the ,table formoving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel to cause said sheet to form a zigzag stack on the table within the confining means, a normally-elevated pressure head to one side of the table, means for conveying the stack after the sheet is severed from within the confining means on the table to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

7. Pulp sheet bundling apparatus comprising a substantially horizontal normally-stationary conveyor, a fixed vertical guide supported near and above the conveyor, a removable vertical guide normally supported near and above the conveyor spaced along the latter from the fixed guide, means connected to the removable guide to move the latter away from the conveyor, said guides and the conveyor forming a receptacle therebetween, means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly towards the receptacle, a vertically-arranged chute having opposed walls between which the pulp sheet moves, said walls being wide enough to accommodate the entire sheet and spaced apart just suiciently to permit said sheet to pass therebetween, a slot in one of the chute walls substantially normal to the direction of movement of the sheet, a blade movably mounted in line wtih the slot, said blade and slot being at least as long as the width of the sheet, means for moving the blade through the slot to sever the sheet by pressing it against the opposed chute wall to allow the portion of the sheet below the blade to drop away, oscillating means between the chute and the receptacle for moving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel and in the direction of movement of the conveyor to form a zigzag stack on said conveyor within the receptacle, a pressure head above the conveyor to one side of the removable guide remote from the receptacle, means for moving the conveyor after the removable guide is moved away therefrom to transfer the stack to a position beneath the head, and means connected to the pressure head for moving it downwardly to compress the stack into a compact bundle.

8. Pulp sheet bundling' apparatus comprising a substantially horizontal normally-stationary Iconveyor, a fixed vertical guide supported near and above the conveyor, a

`removable vertical guide normally supported near and above -the conveyor spaced along the latter from the fixed n Je' 9 guide; said removable vertical guide lcomprising a plurality of spaced vertical cables secured to a weighted bar, a plurality of drums xedly mounted on a common shaft and around which the cables are wound, and vertical tracks at the edges of the conveyor into which the ends of the Weighted bar extend; means connected to the shaft to rotate the latter and the drums back and forth to raise and lower the weighted bar and thereby move said removable vertical guide away from and towards the conveyor, 4said -guides and the conveyor forming a receptacle therebetween, means for directing a pulp sheet downwardly towards the receptacle, oscillating means between the directing means and the receptacle for moving the pulp sheet travelling downwardly back and forth across its general path of travel and in the direction of movement of the conveyor to form a zigzag stack on References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,117 Ivens May 17, 1892 622,161 Patterson Mar. 28, 1899 646,220 Ivens Mar. 27, 1900 681,645 Pope et al Aug. 27, 1901 2,789,406 Mosier Apr. 23, 1957 

